And Banish With Laughter by Soror Diotima © 2006 Konton Publi****ng
ISBN 4903462056 267 pages Paperback $20.99 (U.S.)
Please understand from the very beginning that Diotima is, among many
other
things, a chaos magician and that (simple) fact colors her perceptions and
her presentations. If you are one of those individuals who have a craving
for the logical and "scientific" approach to things, you may find this
book
difficult to appreciate.
Diotima strives, how successfully is for the reader to determine, to make
one THINK. She isn't interested, as far as I can tell, in readers
thinking
like her; she just wants them thinking. And, since most folks don't do
that
too often, it may be a novel experience for many.
In spite of the image the title may conjure up, this is not a particularly
humorous book. It is a provoking book. Its intent is to provoke thought,
which it does quite nicely, in my opinion. Along the way it may,
depending
upon your personal understanding (or "take") of the various topics under
discussion, also provoke outrage, indignation, and/or confusion. This is
not, necessarily, a bad thing.
This is a collection of essays with only a couple of connections
throughout.
The most obvious connection is, of course, the author****p. A corollary to
that is the mindset of the author (i.e., being a Chaos magician). But as
you read these short essays you mind find other connections. I say "may"
because some readers will see such connections (whether they exist in
"reality" is a moot point) and some won't.
As I add books to my library I try (how successfully is open to debate) to
place them in categories (e.g., Wicca, magick, fiction, non-fiction,
reference, etc.). Some books, and this is one, are harder to place. I
finally ended up placing it in my "philosophy" sections, although it
doesn't
fit neatly into any one category.
If you want to stretch your mind, or if you want to look at things from
other folks' perspectives, this book will start you on that path (or help
you continue along the way). This book is not ONLY for reading. It is
for
discussing - with friends, with coven-mates, and with your own
individuality.
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